272 
AFRICA AND ITS EXPLORATION. 
thirst of all the armies of the world for a century. But 
food ? Whither should we turn for it ? 
A gentle breeze came from the island. We raised 
the lug sail, hoping that it would continue fair for a 
south-east course. But at 7 p.m. it fell a dead calm. 
We resumed our extemporized paddles — those thin 
weak bottom-boards. Our progress was about three- 
quarters of a mile per hour. 
Throughout the night we laboured, cheering one 
another. In the morning not a speck of land was 
visible : all was a boundless circle of grey water. 
About 9 a.m. a squall came fair and drove us about 
eight miles to the south; about 10.30 it became calm 
again, but still we 
paddled unceasingly. 
At night we found 
ourselves about seven 
miles away from an 
island to the south- 
ward of us, and we 
made noble efforts ' to 
reach it. But a gale 
came up from the 
south - Avest, against 
which it Avas useless 
to contend. The crew 
Avere fatigued and weakened after paddling forty-nine 
hours Avithout food. 
We resigned ourselves to the waves and the rain that 
Avas falling in sheets, and the driving tempest. Up 
and cloAvn Ave rose and sank on the great Avaves, battered 
from side to side, swung round, plunged in dark 
hollows, and bathed in spray. We baled the boat out, 
and again sat down. At midnight the gale moderated 
and the moon rose, throwing a weird light upon the 
face of the lake and its long heaving billows, which still 
showed high crests whitened Avitli foam. Up and down 
Ave rose and plunged. The moon now shone clear upon 
the boat and her wretched crew, ghastlily lighting up 
the crouching, wearied, despairing forms, from which 
